Heltah Skeltah

Heltah Skeltah is the Brooklyn rap duo formed by Ruck (a.k.a. Sean Price) and Rock. They are both members of the Boot Camp Clik posse.

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The debut release by the duo was "Nocturnal", released in June of 1996 on Priority/Duck Down, which appeared shortly after their seminal 12 inch release, 'Lefleur Leflah Eshkoshka b/w Blah' under the group name The Fab Five (which included Boot Camp affiliates the Originoo Gun Clappaz). "Nocturnal" spawned the popular underground single, 'Operation Lockdown', and was quintessential NYC boom bap for the time, with the thumping production of Da Beatminerz complementing the unique voices of Ruck and Rock.

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After a 2 year wait, the duo followed up with their sophomore LP, "Magnum Force", which would end up being their last release to date, and coincidentally, their last release on Priority Records. A departure from their debut LP, it featured no production from Da Beatminerz, and had a large focus on outside guest appearances, both from within their own crew (Reprezentativs, Ruste Juxx) and outside their crew (Outlawz). The lead single from the LP was 'I Ain't Havin That', which utilized the same break used by A Tribe Called Quest on the song 'Hot Sex'. Both commercial and critical success eluded the duo this time around, and they, along with their Boot Camp brethren, were shortly dropped from Priority Records.

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In the years that followed, a few 12 inch releases made their way to record stores, most notably the PF Cuttin produced 'Caca Gosa Vixen b/w The Crab Inn', but for the most part, the duo remained silent musically.

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In the meantime, Rock began having problems with the record label (Duck Down), eventually leading to his departing, and signing on with Lethal Records, the vanity label started by Limp Bizkit's DJ Lethal. In late 2001, he released the single 'Walk Like A G', which featured production by Scott Storch, yet soon afterwards, Lethal Records folded, and Rock's solo debut, "Planet Rock", never saw the light of day.

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Conversely, during his hiatus from Heltah Skeltah, Ruck has been more active. Recording under his birth name, Sean Price, he released a series of singles from 2001 to 2004, including 'Don't Say Shit To Ruck b/w Solidify', and 'Telemundo'. He also made appearances on the soundtrack to the popular Grand Theft Auto 3 video game ('Rising To The Top') in addition to his roles on albums by the Boot Camp Clik ("The Chosen Few") and Black Moon ("Total Eclipse"), and a number of mixtapes. Finally, in 2005, he released his solo debut on Duck Down/Navarre, entitled "Monkey Barz", to critical, if not commercial acclaim.

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Currently, the duo is slated to release a new project within the next year, tentatively titled, "Da Incredible Rap Team (D.I.R.T.).

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